An Elite Dangerous ship build that heals shielded “tank” ships when fighting Thargoid interceptors in wings or teams.

This arrangement is similar to how MMORPGs structure groups. The “tanks”, usually Imperial Cutters or Federal Corvettes with Prismatic Shields, try to draw the interceptor’s fire by staying close, hot and dishing out damage. Healers try to keep the tanks’ shields up, particularly when hit by an interceptor’s lightning attack. Dedicated anti-swarm and anti-scout ships handle the thargon swarms and scouts. The rest try to draw damage using more traditional anti-xeno builds and tactics.

This post assumes you are familiar with Thargoid interceptor combat.

Goals

Create a ship to:

1. Heal tanks’ shields. This requires the Regenerative Sequence experimental effect on Beam Lasers.
2. Remove the caustic debuff from tanks. This requires a Decontamination Limpet Controller and a Cargo Rack for limpets.
3. Reach tanks. Beam lasers and limpets are only effective within a kilometre or so. This build needs the speed and agility to reach them.
4. Survive around hostile thargoids, including thargon swarms and scouts. This requires strong shields, strong hull and removing your own caustic debuff.

Build

Link: EDSY (have it open as you read about the build for easy reference)

Healing is a fun way to contribute while giving a different set of challenges. Elite Dangerous rarely creates opportunities for different roles within a team. A healer’s focus is on enabling others to be more effective.

Other ships, notably the Anaconda, can provide more raw healing power because they have more hard points and a larger power distributor. However, the Krait Mk II is faster and more agile, helping you get to more mobile tanks when needed or be more forgiving when you are out of position.

Healing:

1. Healing Beams: Efficient Beam Lasers with the Regeneration Sequence experimental effect are the best way to regenerate allies’ shields. The Regeneration Sequence experimental effect restores a team- or wingmate’s shields instead of damaging them. Efficient means you can fire the lasers for as long as possible, healing to heal through an interceptor’s lightning attack. The Concordant Sequence experimental effect increases the regeneration rate of the shield for ten seconds. However, the buff does not stack and tanks’ prismatic shields often have a slow regeneration rate.
2. Fixed Weapons: Tanks are usually large, slow-moving targets. Fixed weapons give enough extra damage/healing to make them worth it.
3. Power Distributor: An interceptor’s lightning attack will drain a tank’s shield quickly, particularly if it temporarily disables the tank’s Power Distributor. A Weapon Focused Power Distributor, four pips weapons and a full capacitor allow you to keep restoring the shields for 30+ seconds.
4. Decontamination: A Decontamination Limpet Controller and copious Cargo Racks for limpets means you can help remove the caustic debuff from tanks or, if attention permits, other allies. However, this can be challenging. Scouts, thargon swarms and interceptors often shoot off attached limpets. Limpets are also slow, and even a slow Federal Corvette can outrun a limpet. Cooperation with the tank is required. In a pinch, decon limpets can repair hull, including your own.
5. Tagging: Remember to shoot the interceptor a few times for a second. Otherwise, you will not get any combat bonds when it dies.

Defence

1. Shields: Many AX pilots prefer to go shieldless. However, given nearby tanks should be keeping the interceptor’s attention and scouts, thargon swarms or other interceptors may be nearby, strong shields soak up most of the damage that should be coming this ship’s way. If the shield drops, consider a reboot/repair to quickly restore it to 50%.
2. Caustic Sink Launcher: Given the difficulty of heating up with a shield and Efficient Beam Lasers along with the prominence of caustic clouds and missiles, a Caustic Sink Launcher helps keep the healer focused on the tank’s health and not its own.
3. Absolute Damage: Guardians do absolute damage so maximize raw shield and hull strength where possible.
4. No Guardian Modules: A Glaive’s anti-guardian module field will not worry this build.
5. No Shutdown Field Neutralizer: Most tanks have a Shutdown Field Neutralizer that will protect you. If not, swap one of the Shield Boosters for it.

Tactics

1. Team structure: Ensure you are in a wing or team with the tanks. Otherwise, your Regeneration Sequence Beam Lasers will damage their shields, not heal them. It also helps you easily locate your tanks by looking at the blue points on your radar.
2. Positioning: Keep the tanks within one kilometre and between the interceptor and you. Beam Lasers are most effective within 800 m. This position also reduces the chance the interceptor will target you.
3. Pip management: The default choice is two pips in systems and four in weapons. You will occasionally need to put pips into engines to boost away from caustic missiles or catch up to a distant tank.
4. Anti-Interceptor Shield: If your team is struggling against an interceptor, firing five beam weapons against its shield will bring it down quickly. However, this will bring you in range of its lightning attack and will put you on its target list for caustic missiles. Target the shield with care.
5. Anti-scout: Destroying scouts is challenging but surprisingly doable if you can get up close. It can keep you occupied while waiting for interceptors to jump in.